Performing and Fine Arts

The Colorado Springs School offers a comprehensive arts curriculum throughout Children’s, Middle, and Upper Schools to develop collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills through meaningful projects, performances, and experiences. At CSS, the arts are of equal importance to core subject matters and allow our students to develop an appreciation for process-based discovery and innovation while building confidence and self-assurance. CSS teachers are professional artists who inspire daily creativity from our students.

Performing and Fine Arts

The Colorado Springs School offers a comprehensive arts curriculum throughout Children’s, Middle, and Upper Schools to develop collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills through meaningful projects, performances, and experiences. At CSS, the arts are of equal importance to core subject matters and allow our students to develop an appreciation for process-based discovery and innovation while building confidence and self-assurance. CSS teachers are professional artists who inspire daily creativity from our students.

Children’s School ArtsThe Children’s School believes that students grow in their ability to comprehend their world when they explore, learn and grow in the visual and performing arts. Through studying creative dramatics, music, and visual art, students learn higher-order thinking skills: critical problem-solving, analyzing, and decision-making. The arts encourage and develop appropriate and positive social and emotional skills through collaborative group work. Students are able to make connections within all subjects of study by gaining experiential knowledge of each arts discipline. Infusion of the arts enhances academic, social-emotional, and creative growth in all students, thereby educating the whole child.

Children’s School Visual ArtsThe Children’s School visual art curriculum is designed to give students an aesthetic vocabulary, understanding, and appreciation. Lessons are designed to help develop comfort and fluency in the language of art. Students are encouraged to explore a large variety of two- and three-dimensional media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, and graphic design. Through experimentation, students develop advanced problem-solving techniques, critical thinking skills, a willingness to take risks, and the ability to self-reflect. Craftsmanship is an essential requirement of the art-making process. Choices of materials, work ethic, technique, and meaning are made with intention and ownership. Art is explored through the study of various artists, art forms, concepts, and themes from diverse cultures and time periods. Students strengthen cooperative skills and leadership abilities by designing and executing group projects. Children’s School art is displayed in the Louisa Performing Arts Center gallery space, the Early Childhood Center, and the Field House multiple times within the school year.

Children’s School Theatre ArtsThe creative dramatics/theatre arts curriculum involves the whole child through imaginative thinking and creative expression. Classes incorporate pantomime, dramatic play improvisation, role-playing, and dramatization. The developmentally-appropriate curriculum illuminates and explores the concepts of self-expression, actions and consequences, collaboration, and communication. A separate part of the curriculum involves a formal theatre production process called Dessert Theater. During Dessert Theatre each grade level performs an age-appropriate play that is based on a classroom theme of study. These plays are presented to the school audience, parents, and the CSS community. Through this formal theatre participation, children develop skills in concentration, communication, and problem-solving. The skills of follow-through, self-discipline, responsibility, and perseverance are taught and emphasized during the rehearsal process. Students come to understand their own creative process, while the collaborative act of theatre production fosters a balance between individual integrity and social cooperation.

Children’s School General MusicThe Children’s School General Music program provides students from grades Kindergarten through fifth-grade with varied learning experiences that encourage a life-long love and understanding of music. As students immerse themselves in music, they learn how to express their thoughts and then communicate with others. Classes are developmentally-appropriate and designed to keep the joy of creating, making and experiencing music at the center focus. We sing, play, create, move and listen. Musical literacy is emphasized with the study of melody, rhythm, harmony, form, and expression. Exploring the discipline of music utilizes and nurtures a wide range of higher-order thinking skills while increasing self-motivation in thought and action. Music is an experience-driven art form that requires active learning. Class and performance participation and collaboration provide opportunities for social development. In December, all students perform a musical celebration at the Louisa Performing Arts Center called Holiday Tea. Learning, rehearsing and performing various pieces of music in front of the school, parents, and members of the CSS community develops self-discipline. Performing as a group strengthens a sense of community and teamwork and fosters a commitment toward achieving individual and group goals. The Holiday Tea experience encourages personal growth as students come to understand and accept the emotional, expressive qualities of music and the effect that it has on those around them. Students grow in their ability to comprehend their world when they learn music through the Children’s School Music program.

Children’s School BandThe fourth-grade band at CSS looks and sounds a little different than your typical band. The students learn what it means to become an ensemble through the use of recorders, boomwhackers, and other group activities. Recorders are an effective way to unify the students on one instrument as they begin to discover the concepts involved in performing instrumental music. Recorders are used throughout the school year, allowing students to learn more complicated rhythms, time signatures, tempos and dynamics, and in turn, more interesting music. All fourth-grade students participate in this ensemble, providing an outstanding way to transition into the more traditional instrumental ensemble offered in fifth-grade.

The more traditional look of a band begins to take shape in fifth-grade as students learn to play woodwinds, brass and percussion instruments. A love for instrumental music is created as students discover and cultivate new talents found on their band instrument. These band students continue to learn the fundamentals of music as they increase their understanding of rhythms and time, melody and harmony, expand their range of notes, and begin to understand how to listen to the ensemble. All fifth-grade students participate in this ensemble and later join our Middle School Band.

Middle School Arts

Middle School Musical TheatreCSS students from the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade combine in this musical theatre program. Students not only learn and reinforce basic theatre techniques, nomenclature of the stage, stage directions, and movement but also produce and perform a main stage musical geared for the middle school-aged student. Students sing, dance, and act. Music and theory are reinforced during the rehearsal process. Opportunities exist for positions in the technical aspects of the theater including makeup, costuming, set design, sound, and lights, as well as box office, publicity, and ushering.

Middle School BandStudents from the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grades combine to create the band, developing knowledge, skill, and artistic sensitivity in performing instrumental music. The focus of the study is on a wide range of music literature and styles. Students gain greater control of instrument technique, determine the factors that influence intonation and begin to adjust accordingly to produce a well-balanced and in-tune sound. They develop the ability to create an expressive interpretation of the music they perform and learn the importance of teamwork within a large ensemble. Students participate in concerts given throughout the year including Black Forest League Band Day, the CSS Fall and Spring Concerts, the school’s Graduation Ceremony and other public performances.

Upper School Arts

The Upper School arts program at CSS provides comprehensive training and exposure to a wide variety of artistic disciplines. The arts are considered equal to core subjects, with two years of art classes required for graduation. Through diverse offerings, CSS students are consistently challenged in creative problem-solving, refinement of artistic techniques, and adaptability to new forms of self-expression. The Art Department believes in educating the whole individual; students find themselves performing on stage through music, acting, and dance while producing visual art in such diverse areas as metal-casting, oil painting, darkroom photography, figure drawing, ceramics, graphic design, printmaking, and glass-works. Classroom interaction and critique strengthen the student’s artistic voice, vision and ability to communicate effectively. Visiting professional artists provide connections to the greater community, reinforcing coursework within the studio environment of the art classroom and often are an integral element of arts-related Experience Centered Seminars. Every individual is provided the tools and experiences required to participate in local and regional exhibitions and to perform for a wide range of audiences. Students are encouraged to enrich their resumes and develop personal portfolios for collegiate admissions, scholarships, personal growth, and to develop life-long abilities in creative thinking and problem-solving.

Upper School ChoirUpper School music education takes the adolescent voice to a mature level of competency. With the reinforcement of vocal safety in the middle years, the Upper School student approaches singing with confidence and knowledge. Course work focuses on developing the musical ear and voice using works that incorporate four-part harmony and acapella styles. The technical aspects of singing, upper-level theory and more difficult repertoire all work towards preparing students for college and beyond. CSS Upper School choral students participate in two concerts during the winter and spring.

Upper School Music AppreciationUpper School students who are interested in broadening their general knowledge of music explore the elements of music, composers and time periods in music, develop listening skills, dissect songs and learn to create basic compositions. This is accomplished by using a wide range of musical styles and literature. Through listening, discussions and class projects, students acquire new tastes and a new perspective of music. Students also learn how music impacts and responds to society. Through listening and analysis, students learn to recognize the sound of each instrument, its function within the ensemble, and how both vocal and instrumental music has developed over time.

Upper School BandThis course places emphasis on the student’s ability to command or grasp the knowledge, skill, and artistic sensitivity that was discovered and developed in the younger grades. The focus of study is on a wide range of music literature and styles. Students work to master technique, articulations, rhythms, dynamics, time signatures, intonation, balance and blend, expression, and establish a sense of teamwork within the ensemble. Students perform in concerts throughout the year including Black Forest League Band Day, the CSS Fall and Spring Concerts, the CSS Upper School Graduation Ceremony, and other public performances.

Upper School Pep BandAlthough this is not an academic class, everyone knows that a school is nothing without spirit! The energy and excitement generated by an enthusiastic student body turns a school into something more personal and meaningful. The pep band is a group that creates this electrifying atmosphere and drives both the school and its teams on to victory. All Middle School and Upper School band students are members of this awesome group. The CSS pep band performs at school pep rallies at a select number of athletic events and has a huge impact on our school.